The Witch I Love
by CreativeTypist
Summary: Sequel to The Dursleys’ Tale, prereading not required. At his cousin’s wedding, Dudley Dursley is introduced to a woman who will change his life and relationship with his family forever. DD x Magical OFC. *Not Abandoned, just on hiatus for a while!*
1. Chapter 1

The Witch I Love

Summary: Sequel to _The Dursleys' Tale_- prereading not required. At his cousin's wedding, Dudley Dursley is introduced to a woman who will change his life and relationship with his family forever. DD x (Magical) OFC.

Disclaimer: I am but a poor college student who makes no claims on the HP universe, which is the property of the brilliant JKR.

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_Prologue: _

_It was a sunny, warm May afternoon. Dudley Dursley was immersed in a stack of papers on his desk. He had become an associate in his father's drill making company, and, overall, he was happy with his life. _

_However, Dudley was also very busy, so he was initially__ annoyed when he heard the__ loud tapping noise. At first, he was slightly bewildered as to the source of the sound. It didn't sound wooden, so he highly doubted it could be coming from his door. Furthermore, his desk was on the 11__th__ floor, so it certainly couldn't be from his window._

_Or could it?_

_Dudley slowly spun around in his plush desk chair. Many people would have been shocked to see the magnificent snowy owl that was banging on Dudley's window. But Dudley knew precisely the mission this exotic creature was on. What he did not know was who on earth would be contacting him by owl post?_

_Hoping no one was watching, Dudley opened his window and removed the screen, allowing the bird to fly into his office._

_"__Er__…Hi," Dudley muttered. Having never received any mail in this form, he was unsure exactly what to do next._

_The owl almost seemed to sigh in annoyance, and shook its leg impatiently at Dudley._

_"Oh!" Dudley said__ spying the bit of parchment tied to the animal's leg. _

_He collected his letter, unrolled it, and began to read out loud to no one in particular._

_"You are cordially invited to witness the union of Mr. Harry James Potter and Ms. __Ginerva__ Molly __Weasley__!"_

_Dudley paused for a moment and read on, making note of the date and time for this ceremony._

_"Blimey! Harry's getting married and he wants me to come," thought Dudley, sinking back into his chair. He was lost in thought for a moment, until a sharp peck on his hand demanded his attention._

_"You're still here?" he said to the owl. "What do you want?"_

_The bird pecked at a small RSVP card that had fallen out of the invitation._

_Dudley smiled. "You little buggers are smarter than you look, aren't you__" he said to his feathered companion, reaching for a pen on his desk. Dudley hesitated for but a __moment,__ then checked the "yes" box. He tied the card to the owl's leg, and the bird took off again, flying out of the window and into the sky._

_ "Wouldn't miss it for the world, mate," Dudley muttered sincerely, marking the date on his calendar._

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This is a story of how events, so simple as the ones outlined above might seem, can change a life forever. It is a story of how completely love can consume us, of how quickly love can transform us, and of the great magic love can show us. It is the story of Dudley Dursley, and the very special witch who innocently entered his world and showed him how beautiful life can be.

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A/N- OK, I realize this probably sounds very dull and cliché so far. But stay tuned, because in the next chapter, Dudley shares his extraordinary tale with all of us.


	2. Chapter 2

The Witch I Love

Chapter Two: My Cousin's Wedding

For most ordinary people, the simple matter of attending a cousin's wedding is an event that is quite innocuous. Although the Dursley family has always prided itself on being "most people," in this case I must say we were quite extraordinary. For me, the idea of attending this blessed event was terrifying.

Why did I not simply skip out on the occasion then, you ask? Well, contrary to popular belief, the Dursleys are far more extraordinary than they would ever allow their neighbors to notice. In fact, for seventeen years, wizarding Britain's greatest hero dwelt right beneath the roof of Number 12, Privet Drive. This was my cousin, Harry Potter.

From infancy, I had been brought up to view Harry as my lesser, someone who needed to be put into his place by the likes of me. I knew not why until he neared his eleventh birthday, and the letters began to chase my family. In the stunning conclusion to our flight from the post, a giant man appeared in our hideout and cursed my father with his scornful words. I likely would have preferred this to the curse I received, the appearance of a pig's tail growing right out of my buttocks, as though it had always belonged there. It took surgery to remove the appendage, but the memory was quite irreversible.

At first, I was glad to have Harry gone. My parents seemed so much calmer when he left, and there were that many more good feelings to express in terms of gifts and candies for their "Duddykins." Soon though, I began to feel the quite unexpected pangs of loneliness that assault all only children, as Harry had been the nearest thing to a brother I had ever had.

Then, when I was fifteen, Harry rescued me from creatures that I could not see, but could undoubtedly fear. And my feelings for my cousin only increased, and I began to recognize him not as the freak within my house, but rather as family, and quite goodhearted family at that.

And so I was only mildly surprised when the wedding invitation arrived years after I had last seen my cousin. My parents received one as well, but unsurprisingly declined my offer to accompany me to the event. So I went alone, despite my father's insistence than I abstain from socializing with these supposed misfits, setting out on a steamy July afternoon for the appointed venue, a small chapel in the heart of a place known as Godric's Hollow.

I departed from King's Cross Station, clad in my best suit and toting a brightly wrapped wedding gift. The latter of these had been a matter of great concern to me, as I had no idea what to purchase for a cousin I hadn't seen in years and his fiancée, whom I had never met. Finally, I settled on an ornate house plant in a gilded pot, as well as two tickets to the very zoo where my cousin had managed to free a snake so many years before. I figured he and Jenny (was that her name?) could make a trip out there for old time's sake. I hoped that I may be able to convince them to allow myself to accompany them when they did, for we had so much catching up to do. Of course, I didn't allow myself to get my hopes up, as I knew that there was very little reason for my cousin even to acknowledge me after all of my childhood transgressions against him.

Anyway, I finally reached the small train depot in Godric's Hollow. The village was small, and it was easy to spot the quaint little church in its center. I headed in that direction, more than slightly apprehensive.

As I neared the entrance, it became immensely clear that my dress was entirely inappropriate. The other attendees all appeared to be bedecked in the most intricate nightgowns I had ever seen. In my normal wedding attire, I looked utterly out of place. It took all my strength not to turn on my heal and go back the way I had come, but I knew I would regret it if I left.

"Dudley! Dudley, dear!" cried a female voice in the crowd. What woman could possibly have spotted me and so urgently called me over? But then I saw the familiar face emerging from the crowd, and a wide smile grasped my features.

"Hestia! It has been so long!" I pulled her into a giant hug, noticing the gray that had found its way into her dark hair. She immediately began to jabber at me about all varieties of topic, but I managed to stop her long enough to thank her warmly for all she did for my family those years ago.

She brushed off my thanks, stating that it had been her pleasure. Apparently, the time that had gone by had dimmed her memory of Dad. She led me into the church, and I gasped at the massive space within, which was entirely incongruent with the place's utter appearance. But that, I suppose, was magic. Depositing my gift on a heaping table apparently designated for that purpose, Hestia and I joined the immense crowd of people gathered together to celebrate this special day.

Then I saw her. Although the concept of love at first sight went against every ounce of my Dursley practicality, I truly believe this is what occurred, as I began to drown in her stunning blue eyes. To my embarrassment, Hestia immediately noticed my staring. Of course, subtlety had never been my strongpoint.

"Ah, yes Dudley. That is someone I would love if you would meet."

Although I was entirely mortified, I accepted her gentle grasp on my arm as she led me to the most beautiful woman on the planet. Her eyes were blue, but her hair as dark as Hestia's had once been. She was clad in robes the shade of a perfect Rose. She smiled at our approach, and I felt my knees become weak.

"Hello, Auntie! How are you today?" the young woman exclaimed.

"Fine, fine dear. I just want to introduce you to my friend, Dudley Dursley. I believe I have told you about the time I spent with his family near the end of the war?"

"Of course! Hello, Dudley!"

She held out her beautiful, fair hand to me. I wanted to shake it, as my father would have, but I could not control the urge to kiss it. And so I did, lightly, gently, lovingly kissed her hand.

"Eloise Jones, pleased to make your acquaintance," she said softly, her voice sounding to me like the most beautiful music.

Before I could reply, real music started up, and everyone seemed to file to their appointed seats.

Marveling at the misfortune of being separated from her so soon, I too headed for my place. Floating above each seat was gold writing, written in the air, displaying the name of its intended occupant. I watched in horror as some misguided soul took a spot unmarked for them, which resulted in the chair ejecting the person onto the stone floor. Careful not to make the same error, I soon found my spot up near the front, and took my seat. I had been placed beside Kingsley, another figure I had remembered from my family's preparation to hide from Voldemort. We made small talk for a little while (only later did I find out that this man was their Prime Minister!), and soon the ceremony began.

I have little to say about the actual ceremony, other than that it was simple and traditional in many ways, but unlike anything I had ever seen in several others. But I could see the love in my cousin's eyes as the bride was led down the aisle by her father, lightly stepping over the rose petals that had been delicately scattered by a toddler with strawberry blonde hair just moments before. The bride was radiant, and the groom looked quite as I remembered him, but somehow happier, and freer than I had ever seen him before.

Soon enough, the man who was officiating pronounced the pair "bonded for life" (an odd way to put it, in my opinion), and the attendees left their seats to heap congratulations upon the bride and groom. I joined the line, and when I reached my cousin and Ginny, I too showered them with good will. Harry initially behaved a little as if he was not thrilled to see me, and his new wife eyed me with what could only be described as outright contempt. But I described my zoo gift to them, and they agreed that I could accompany them on the outing when they returned from their honeymoon. Satisfied, I left the happy couple to the countless other friends who wished to see them.

Soon, the chairs vanished (frightening me greatly. Apparently, I hadn't seen enough magic yet not to be surprised by it) and the reception commenced. Toasts were made to the bride and groom, and to those who had fallen in the wizarding war that had touched my life. Not for the first time, I was filled with gratitude to those in the room who had helped ensure that my family was not among this list. Nonetheless, this was a somber moment for all and I took a moment to think of the aunt and uncle I had never known. How different my life might have been had they survived.

The moment soon passed, and dancing began. Awkwardly I sat in the corner, knowing that many in the room were greatly curious as to my identity. Then, the crowd parted and I saw _her _again. And she was walking in my direction!

My palms began to sweat as she approached.

"Dudley, isn't it? My Aunt suggested I ask you to dance with me."

"Of course, I would love to," I replied, and led her onto the dance floor.

We danced for what seemed like a perfect eternity, although the loud music interfered with conversation. Nonetheless, the strength of our physical attraction was undeniable. Finally, I began to tire, and led her in the direction of a strategically placed punch bowl for some sustenance. I filled a glass for her and one for me, and we took a seat at a nearby table.

The silence was slighty awkward for a moment, until I managed to squeak out, "Tell me about yourself."

She smiled (what a smile!), and began to speak.

"Well, my name is Eloise Jones, although I suppose we've already covered that. I work with Harry, doing secretarial work for the auror department. In my spare time, I enjoy potion making, playing with my kneazles, and quiditch."

Then it hit me, a fact I had so deliberately ignored since I set eyes on this beautiful creature. Of course, she was a witch. My heart fell as I realized this could never be, even as I gazed in her eyes, so clearly expectant of my reply.

And yet, somehow I was unable to flee her presence as I knew my father would expect. Rather, I smiled my most charming smile and invited her on my zoo excursion with the bride and groom. Although she seemed slightly startled at my forwardness, she agreed, requesting an owl be sent to her with the date and time. I agreed, and then got up to leave, citing my soon to arrive train home.

As I walked away, it dawned on me that I had no owl with which to send her the date of the, well, date. Of course, this really was just one of the long list of problems with this prospective relationship. But those eyes, that smile…could the fact that she was able to cast magic spells really make that much difference, in the long run? After all, it was hardly as if I intended to marry her!

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Please review! Update will be soon...


	3. Chapter 3

The Witch I Love

Chapter Two: A Zoo Excursion

The weeks after the wedding quickly returned to their routine. My invitation to Harry and Ginny remained in the back of my mind, but as time passed, it began to seem less and less likely that I would ever hear from them. Although I had been expecting this, knowing there was no reason at all for Harry to want to talk to me after all I had done, I was surprised to see how disappointed I was. I suppose this is the power of blood- excepting for a few (horrid) relatives on my Dad's side, Harry was my only extended family. What's more, he was the closest thing to a sibling I had ever had and had played a pivotal part in making me the man I am today. In short, I wanted little more than the opportunity to pass on my many apologies to my cousin and his new bride.

Which is why I was uncharacteristically thrilled when I was roused from my sleep by a distinct tapping on my window one Saturday morning. Although I was silently cursing the bird for appearing so blasted early, it was with eagerness that I opened the window and allowed him in.

Beginning to be familiar with the process of owl post, I untied the slip of parchment tied to the bird's leg. On this was a brief note, scribbled by my cousin. It said simply a date and time, requesting me to owl back if this would suffice for our meeting. I didn't even bother to consult my calendar. I would make time for this event. I scrawled a note to this effect, then paused. Should I mention my invitation to Eloise? Ask Harry to pass on the date?

I wanted to, but locked in my mind was the reaction of my Dad if he were to find out I was dating one of "that bloody lot." And of course, I knew a relationship between myself and Eloise could never be. We were, quite literally, from different worlds. But somehow, the image of her soft smile and the sound of the rich warmness of her voice were enough to cancel out the angry parent in my mind. On a most uncharacteristic whim, I added to the end of the note a request for Harry to pass on the details of the date to his secretary, who would be accompanying us as my quest. I secured the note to the owl's leg, and sent it on his way.

As soon as the bird flew out of my sight, I was struck by panic. What had I just done? Surely Harry would laugh at the idea of his fat, mean, _muggle_ cousin dating his beautiful assistant. Perhaps he would be offended, and not even come at all. I felt sure that I had ruined everything, yet again. Glancing at the clock, I realized that not only had I destroyed all hope of a reconciliation with my cousin, but I was also late for breakfast with my Mum and Dad.

I hurried into my clothes, dashed to my car, and headed to Privet Drive. When I arrived I was greeted by Mum, dashing to the car in her cooking apron.

"Oh Dudley, I was so worried about you! Are you quite alright? You look so thin!"

"Yes Mum, I'm fine, just…overslept a bit. And I've been on a diet, you know that!"

"Oh Dudley, but why? You are just so handsome as it is!"

Our conversation was interrupted by my Dad, storming on to the driveway.

"Where is my breakfast, Petunia? A man could starve to death waiting for his food around here!"

"Of course Vernon," she said, rushing back to the kitchen.

I followed the pair into the house, where my mother shooed my father and I to the table and continued her kitchen bustling. My father and I made small talk until Mum returned with heaping platters of food.

We served ourselves, and then the interrogation began. Of course, in the Dursley household this is always done quite underhandedly. Mum always tries to come off as if she has only the smallest ounce of curiosity; Dad, as if he doesn't care at all about the actions of any without so nice a yard as his own, let alone a bunch of robe wearing freaks.

"Well then, how was the wedding?" Mum asked, her voice deliberately uninterested, despite the fact that she was quaking in anticipation of her dose of gossip.

"It was lovely. The ceremony was beautiful, if a little different from normal weddings. The bride is quite a beautiful girl, and Harry seems very happy with her. I also saw Kingsley and Hestia there."

"Different from our weddings, eh? Who could have predicted that?" my father sneered sarcastically.

"Well, a little. I mean, the basics were the same, flowers and candles and a white gown and all that. But the words were a little different, such as in the end they were pronounced bonded for life…" I meant to continue, but was interrupted by my Dad, obviously seeking material to feed his magic related rage, even in something so beautiful as a wedding.

"Bonded for life? Sounds a little inappropriate, I'll say. Not quite suitable for children- not that that lot has any respect for innocence, of course."

"Now Vernon, I'm not sure that it means bonded physically. Anyway, let's talk about something else. Dudley, dear, are you seeing anyone?"

I nearly choked on my bacon. Of course I couldn't mention Eloise to my parents! They would kill me! Not that I was really seeing her anyway, I supposed.

"Not at the moment," I replied, "I've been quite busy, you know, work and all."

"Well remember Duddykins, I'm not getting any younger and I do want to be a granny soon!"

"Yes Mum," I managed to squeak out, in between cringing at her use of that ridiculous nickname and the thought of her chasing grandkids around the house, mopping up each speck of dust as they raced around her immaculate home. I could see Mum lasting for about six seconds as a granny before she submerged the kids in disinfectant and then tied them to plastic covered chairs.

Soon enough, it was time for me to be on my way, so I took my leave and returned to my lonely apartment. I meant to watch a football game, but I was finding it so hard to concentrate. Rather, I was focused solely on what I would say to Harry when my chance arrived.

To my horror, the days remaining until our meeting seemed to fly by. Finally, the day of the zoo trip dawned bright and clear, and I showered and dressed, and headed out toward London.

When I arrived in the city, I was surprised to see that the nice weather had held up, quite in contrast to the dreariness for which London is so well known. At the zoo gates, I was slightly worried by the fact that there was no Harry or Ginny (or Eloise) in sight. Perhaps they weren't coming after all.

Consulting my watch, I realized in my nervousness I had arrived a few minutes early. I took a seat on a nearby park bench and proceeded to wait.

I'd like to say I was excited for our little family reunion, but in reality I was utterly petrified. What could I possibly say to Harry to make up for all I had done? I had bullied him for years, chasing him, stealing from him, blaming him for my faults. He had lived under the stairs for eleven years, while I had two bedrooms! He wore my giant hand-me-downs, even though I vastly outweighed him. He was subjected to my temper tantrums about my perfect life, when all he had ever known was suffering. Would I forgive me? As I sat on that bench, I came to the startling confusion that I probably wouldn't.

It was a good thing that I spotted Harry and Ginny at that second. Had I not, it seems likely I would have fled, back to the safety of my life which does not demand that I revisit the demons of my past.

As the newlyweds approached though, I realized to my horror that Eloise wasn't with them. What sort of an idiot had I been to think she ever would?

Apparently, Harry could see the confusion in my eyes as the first words he said to me were those I least wanted to hear:

"Sorry, Dudley. She isn't coming."

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A/N: Yes, I know this is a little short. As an excuse, I would just like to say that I was 1300 words into this chapter on Sunday when my computer crashed and I lost the file. So I had to start all over, and as I just wanted to get something posted, this was the best I could do. Expect another update soon, and please review in the meantime! Reviews encourage me to keep going, even when my computer is being mean. Many thanks to those who have reviewed!


	4. Chapter 4

The Witch I Love

Chapter Four: The Centaur and the Snake

"She…umm…ok, well…" was about all I managed to get out of my mouth when Harry informed me that Eloise wasn't coming. Although my communication skills had greatly evolved from my childhood language of grunts, tears, and fists, I still wasn't known for my eloquence. This, however, was especially bad, even for me.

"There was a bit of an…incident at work with an old death eater who we had been searching out for some time now. We finally managed to track him down in Romania, where he had some sort of unfortunate relationship going on with a rogue centaur. Anyway, it created quite a bit of paperwork, so Eloise has been totally swamped at the office. I only barely managed to get away myself. She did ask me to give you this though." Harry handed me a small slip of parchment.

Trying not to imagine what an "unfortunate relationship" with a horse-man entails, I pushed the thought from my head and opened the paper. To my surprise, a feminine script had penned a telephone number on the sheet. Could Eloise be giving me her phone number? Did witches have telephones, or was this some sort of sick joke?

Apparently sensing my confusion, Harry hurried to explain.

"Being raised as a muggle, it is easier for me than most to see the advantages of some of their technologies. When I was made head of the auror department, I insisted that several telephones be installed, as they really are quite handy for inter-office communication as well as when we are required to interview muggles, less memory modification needed that way, and it's easier to gain their trust. That number is the direct line to Eloise's desk- she figured it would be much easier for you to reach her that way than by owl post."

"You mean, she wants to see me then…she's interested? Wow, that's…"

Apparently growing tired of hearing about my utterly irrational and largely hypothetical relationship with her husband's employee, Ginny interrupted.

"Shall we get on with this, then?"

Harry tenderly took hold of her hand, and we headed into the zoo.

Right past the gates was a very familiar ice cream cart. I paused, purchasing three chocolate popsicles. Hoping my gesture of goodwill would be noticed, I doled the treats out to Harry and Ginny.

"Not lemon this time, Dudley? Quite generous of you." Harry said, not bothering to mask the sarcasm in his voice.

Ouch. That was not quite the response I had hoped for.

"I was a selfish, spoiled bully, Harry. There's not much more I can say about it other than that I've changed and I'm sorry."

But Harry, and especially Ginny, clearly protective of her new husband's feelings, did not seem quite ready to accept my apology.

As we moved through the zoo, the tension in the air could not be missed. There was very little conversation between us, and I'm fairly certain I heard Ginny whisper a comment about my resemblance to the gorillas when we visited their enclosure. Finally, we reached a very familiar structure: the reptile house.

This was the first place I had ever felt afraid of my cousin, as well as source of the greatest affirmation that Harry was a freak, just as my parents had said for so long. For here, Harry had set a boa constrictor at me. I could have been killed! And yet, I knew this did not even begin to measure up to all I had done to him.

Harry and Ginny stood, hand-in-hand, viewing the giant snake.

"Does he have anything interesting to say?" I asked, trying to start a real conversation.

It took Harry a minute to respond, as he was apparently deep in thought.

"I can't talk to them anymore."

"Oh," I replied, wondering what had brought about the loss of that interesting talent. "That's too bad."

"Not really."

Warily, I gestured to a nearby bench.

"Shall we rest for a minute?" I asked, knowing the time had come for me to issue a much more substantial apology than a chocolate popsicle. Ultimately, I had come to the conclusion that I wanted my cousin in my life. For this to be a reality, I had some serious explaining to do.

"Look, Harry, Ginny. I know how you feel about me. I can't blame you. I've thought about it a lot, and I think if I were in your shoes I wouldn't be able to forgive me, and I won't be surprised if you don't. That said though, I need you to understand that I've changed. I'm not the person I used to be. And in large part, I have you to thank for that. The year we spent in hiding was the best thing that ever happened to me. There were so many days that I thought I was going to die, and what I came to realize was that it wouldn't matter much to anyone if I did. What's more, a lot of people would probably have been quite relieved, even thrilled that I was gone. When we got back to Privet Drive, I didn't care anymore about how many birthday gifts I received, or whether I caught all of my television programs. I apologized to a lot of people, and I made it my goal to make up for all of the wrongs I had caused. And here I stand, a better man because of it. So, thank you Harry. I don't think I can ever tell you how sorry I am for how I treated you, the closest thing to a brother I'll ever have."

There was a seemingly endless moment of silence after my proclamation, Finally, Harry started to speak.

"You know Dudley, you beat me up, chased me down, ensured I was never the least bit happy. You lived in two giant bedrooms, while I lived in a cupboard. You made the first eleven years of my life utterly miserable…"

I found myself literally blushing in embarrassment as Harry listed my transgressions. Well, if he couldn't forgive me, I supposed I at least deserved a good telling-off.

"…But I forgive you. You have my mother's blood too, even if it came to you in the form of Aunt Petunia. When you have as little blood kin as I do, it is hard not to value it. Especially when that kin takes the form of a good man like you, rather than a bitter Aunt or violent Uncle."

I'm nearly certain my jaw dropped at this sentiment. Ginny's did too, but she quickly corrected herself. What happened next was perhaps even more shocking, as I embraced my cousin.

We proceeded to the sort of idle chatting that had so eluded us on the tour of the zoo. Free of the burdens of our past, we were finally able to converse as cousins should.

And we talked about everything, including some of the more amusing instances of our childhood, such as father's ill fated attempt to flee from Harry's post or the time Harry had blown up Aunt Marge. These incidents seemed much more amusing now then they had at the time, that was for sure!

We also discussed my time in hiding, and some of the highlights of that year. Harry was especially interested to hear about Mum's unexpected use of magic. He told me about the time he had run into her at the cemetery in Godric's Hollow, and explained that this incident made much more sense if his mother's powers had saved us all. I told Harry that mother kept a framed picture of Aunt Lily on her nightstand to this day, and had been back to visit her grave on several occasions.

"I think she finally forgave her, you know?" I speculated.

"Kind of like us. She would be thrilled, I think. If they had…if they had lived, I think she would have wanted us to know each other."

As we conversed, I also felt Ginny's iciness toward me melting away. This came as quiet a relief to me, as from what I heard at the wedding, it seemed that she was an amazing woman. My cousin had chosen well, even if his choice did think I looked like a gorilla. Perhaps I did!

Soon enough, it was time for Harry to take his leave, citing the need to check in on how his aurors were doing at the office. I shook his hand, and to my surprise, Ginny gave me a hug in farewell.

"We need to keep in touch, I think," she suggested, and I nodded in affirmation.

"That phone number Eloise gave you- it can be used to reach me as well," Harry pointed out.

"Thanks Harry- for everything." I replied, and we separated.

When they left, I truly felt as if a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Against all odds, they had forgiven me. Of course, this wasn't all I needed to accomplish for the day. There was a certain dark haired witch waiting for me to ring!

When I returned to my flat though, I found this was easier said than done. I must have dialed the first part of the number fourteen times, always hanging up before I finished dialing. Never had I had this much trouble making a call before! Perhaps Eloise meant more to me than I wanted to admit…

Finally, after seemingly hours of pacing and fretting, I completed the call. To my horror, the phone was ringing! But it was too late to turn back.

"Eloise Jones speaking. How may I direct your call?"

"Umm…well…" so well spoken, I was! "Actually, this is Dudley Dursley. We met at the wedding? I'm not sure if you…"

"Of course I remember you, Dudley! I did give you this number, didn't I? Anyway, I just wanted to apologize for missing the zoo trip today, Harry told me it was a lot of fun. But I was thinking- how about I take you to my favorite zoo to make it up to you? Are you busy on Saturday? Say, three o'clock, maybe?"

"Why, that sounds wonderful! Where should I pick you up?"

Eloise gave me the directions, and I scribbled them down.

"I'd better get back to work then, Dudley. I still have quite a bit to do about this centaur business. I'm really looking forward to our date, though. I can't wait to get to know you better!"

We said our goodbyes and hung up.

"Oh my God. I have a date with a witch! Whatever would mum and dad say?" I thought, already beginning to panic again.

And yet I knew that I would not back out. For some reason, Eloise had captivated me, and I was determined to discover why, whatever it took. And, after all, it certainly wasn't as if going out with someone as beautiful as her was much of a sacrifice to make. As long as mum and dad didn't find out, at least. If they did, I shuddered to think of what they would do to me, never mind the fact that I was a grown man.

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A/N: Thanks for reading, I'd love it if you would take a minute to leave a review. Also, for those of you who haven't read my other story, _The __Dursleys__' Tale_, the bit about Petunia's use of magic and visit to the cemetery come from that one.


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